Social media platforms have been explaining that the perpetrators of the crime did not represent Libyans and acted against the tenants of Islam and the teachings of Prophet Mohamed. Ordinary Libyans, they ssay, do not want to be associated with the attacks at the mission and deplored the fact that initial protests there intended to defend the character of Prophet Mohamed from an anti-Islam movie that has in fact been described as “disgusting and reprehensible” by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton during a press conference.
Various Facebook pages have been created to mark the attacks such as We Muslim Libyans strongly condemn the Violent acts on the American embassy, I am Libyan and I refuse the murder that happened to Chris Stevens and more notably The Sorry Project has gained over 2000 likes and is acting as a platform and exchange board for Libyans to express their condolences to the victims’ families and oppose the crimes and violence committed against the US consulate.
A video message Libyans Against Terrorism in Memory of Ambassador Chris Stevens produced by Intaj, a local production house, shows Libyans denouncing terrorism and extremism as a cohesive group.
Protests planned within hours of news breaking and still ongoing, show many people holding signs reading “Libyan against terror”, “Murder is not Islam” and “Thugs and Killers don’t represent Benghazi nor Islam”.
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In Benghazi’s Maidan Al-Shajara, local residents said they were shocked by “this heinous crime”. Several, speaking to the Libya Herald, said they were there to apologise on behalf of Libya and to express their condolences to the United States and the victims’ families. They called on the Libyan government to bring to account armed extremist groups who, they said were threatening the country’s security and stability.
They all condemned the attack, calling it a disgrace for Libya and describing the perpetrators as extremists. Such people, they said, did not know the teachings of Islam. They said that if they were true followers of the Prophet Muhammad, they would not have done such a thing, because the Prophet did not permit the killing of innocent people...
...In Tripoli, protestors gathered in Algeria Square on Wednesday evening at a demonstation organised by local human rights organisations and civil society activists. Some of the demonstrators also denounced the film attacking the Prophet Mohamed which, allegedly, was the cause of the attack on the US Benghazi mission. Almost all said that the extremists had used the issue for unjustified violence that amounted to an international crime.
Excerpts above from the Libya Herald articles, Libyans unite in sadness to condemn Stevens murder and Growing protests in Tripoli and Benghazi at Stevens’ murder.